


Possibilities

by lucdarling



Category: Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (2012), Thor (2011), White Collar
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-11-05
Updated: 2011-11-05
Packaged: 2017-10-25 18:01:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/273158
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lucdarling/pseuds/lucdarling
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Neal Caffrey isn't going to turn down the chance to break into Tony Stark's mansion.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Possibilities

**Author's Note:**

> Written anonymously for the LJ Community avengerkink on November 3, 2011.

Neal knew Peter wasn't pleased with the request another one of the government alphabet's had made of him, but Neal was excited. He got to show off his skills, the anklet was off for the night _and_ Agent Coulson had given him the floor plans of the building two weeks in advance without even asking. Neal thought this was going to be the easiest job – find the flaws in the security of a mansion owned by Tony Stark.

Neal would have done this job for free. (Well, he technically was but that was beside the point.) The man had an art collection that tended a bit too much towards the modern for Neal's taste, but the painting that supposedly hung in the front hall was one of the few by Harriet Hallowell in America. He and Mozzie had plotted possible entrances and exits before deciding the best way was through a ground floor window. After he had cased the building, easily done with a forged invitation to one of Stark's infamous parties.

Neal planned to return next week, but this party would at least give him a chance to look around with lights shining beyond a handheld Maglite. He walked in behind a pair of giggling girls, peeling off their shadow when they made a beeline for a giant blond man. Neal walked around the edge of the room, scanning both the partygoers and the walls. No Hallowell yet, but there was a very lovely sculpture on the side table right next to the numerous alcohol bottles. He skirted past a man a little older than him who was leaning against the wall and headed to the line for the open bar.

“You look a little young to be an agent,” the girl he'd followed into the party peered at him closer, fingers wrapped around her bottle.

Neal gave her a winning smile. “I'm in training, Miss-”

“Wow, you really are new, aren't you?” the girl grinned. “We all have to start sometime, I guess. I'm Darcy, I work with-slash-for Jane, who's in charge of building the Einstein-Rosen bridge.” Neal raised an eyebrow and took a sip of his drink to process the quickly spoken sentence. Darcy laughed at him kindly.

Neal excused himself after a few more minutes of incomprehensible scientific talk, wondering if Stark Industries would soon be announcing some new design for NASA. He smirked to himself at the thought of Stark willingly working with the government and caught the eye of Agent Coulson on his second sweep of the room. The agent looked at him calmly, almost right through him over the shoulder of the man he was currently arguing with in a low voice. Neal walked closer and realized the man with his back to him was Tony Stark himself.

“What exactly is all of this?” Agent Coulson's voice was dry and demanding, the same tone he'd talked to Peter with when Hughes had announced the temporary loan of Neal's particular skill set.

“What does it look like?” Tony retorted, clinking the ice in his tumbler in a practice move. “This is part of my image, I am known for these parties.” Coulson looked like he was refraining from a hearty sigh, Neal noticed as he walked past. He changed his stride and straightened his shoulders to emulate most of most of the military-trained people who seemed to populate the living room.

Neal gave himself ten more minutes, including a quick trip to the bathroom. He didn't get a chance to explore but one of the bedrooms, being waylaid by the giant blond man who took Neal's cover story with amusement. Neal wondered when Tony Stark took up archery, or if he had a guest in the ground level bedroom who was probably some sort of enthusiast, judging by the well-cared for arrows lying about and empty quiver against the wall. Neal left before he could be caught in a conversation with a strawberry-blonde in a business suit who looked like she was in charge of the party. It wouldn't do to be caught before the second part of his plan. As Neal sat in the cab back to June's apartment, he realized the woman was Pepper Potts, CEO of Stark Industries and former personal assistant and rumored girlfriend of Tony Stark. Neal grinned as he paid the driver, this job was getting better and better.

Two nights later he broke in with a half moon shining down on him and clear visibility. Neal slid open the window almost noiselessly and entered feet-first onto the carpet. He looked around at the mostly dark room, streetlight and moon illuminating the couch and clustered chairs around the wall-mounted television. Neal walked noiselessly across the carpeted floor and went to the painting right next to the staircase. He placed it down on the coffee table, moving the empty soda bottle to the floor and making a mental note of its location. Neal unhooked the latches securing the back to the frame and removed the rigid matting. His gloved hands lifted up the canvas and he rolled it up, sliding it into the tube on his back. Neal was in the process of replacing the stiff backing over his forgery when an odd noise made the hair on the back of his neck stand up. The con man went to stand and his foot landed on something thin that hadn't been on the floor before.

Neal put more weight automatically on the heel of his foot as the stick rolled under him like a marble. There was another unidentifiable sound and _something_ whizzed past him, ruffling his hair. Neal ducked automatically, arms flying up to cover his head. He hated guns. Then the lights came on in the room.

“Hey Tony, you have a visitor,” a man said, outlined by the hallway light so Neal couldn't see his features. A part of him mentally applauded the angle, the other part was desperately wishing he hadn't accepted this job from Agent Coulson. The man in front of him was holding a bow, an honest to god bow, quiver strapped to his back. Neal pulled his arms down, smoothing his tie as he stood to full height.

“This looks a lot worse than it is, I assure you.” Neal said calmly, smiling as he spread his empty hands away from his body.

“Really?” Tony Stark's incredulous voice came from behind the taller man. “Because you know, if you missed the press release a few years ago, you're trying to rob Iron Man.” The billionaire put a hand over his glowing chest, dressed in a black wife beater and low-slung jeans. “You can't possibly be that stupid.” He stared at Neal, clearly waiting for a response.

“I'll let you keep the Hallowell if you let me walk out of here?” Neal offered, charming smile affixed like a mask. He swung the painting in their direction so they could see. Tony walked closer, waving a dismissive hand at the archer's soft sound of displeasure.

“That's not my painting, I'm guessing.” His brown eyes bored into Neal.

“But are you sure about that?” Neal winked, walking the eight steps to the wall and hanging the frame back up. He stepped back to Tony's side and pretended to admire it. “It looks quite good on your wall.”

“I don't know who you are,” Tony peered at Neal closely, looking for something that he didn't find, if the way he rocked back on his heels was any indication. “But I think I should first congratulate you on a job well done; few have the ability to break in here let alone are crazy enough to do it. As it stands though, you have interrupted my not inconsiderable genius in the middle of the night to have me examine my own painting.” He turned to the other man who hadn't moved since he shot at Neal minutes earlier. “Did he interrupt you in anything?” Neal noticed Tony didn't say a name and he wondered again who the archer was exactly as he shook his head in silence.

Tony put a hand on Neal's back and steered him towards the front door. “I know, you didn't come in this way but it looks a lot better than if you left through a window and a neighbor saw and called the cops. None of us want that happening, I'm sure.” His bright smile matched Neal's at that moment. Tony opened the door and halted in front of the unexpected sight of Agent Coulson.

“Hello again,” Neal gave a little wave at the suited man as Tony's mouth fell open.

The hesitation didn't last long. Tony gave Neal a small push forward in the agent's direction. “Glad you're here, I found him trying to rob me!” The agent's bland expression didn't change.

“Somehow, I doubt he got very far.”

Tony winced at whatever was insinuated when Coulson's eyes flicked upward. “Well, I actually took Jarvis offline since I'm updating all of the uh.. _shift_ changes.” Neal could have sworn the agent smirked in response, but if he did, it was a miniscule quirk of his lips.

“Well, imagine that.” The remark was delivered in perfect deadpan and Tony's eyes widened as his hand landed back on Neal's shoulder like he was checking the thief was really present.

“Did you know about this?” His tone was disbelieving. “I thought we were about working together as a team, Coulson!” The agent smiled thinly and turned to Neal.

“You've done your part admirably, Mr. Caffrey,” Coulson told him, shaking his hand. “I have a car waiting to take you home.” He stepped to the side so Neal could sidle out the door.

Coulson ushered him to the car with what Neal figured had to be practice. The agent's step was in time with Neal's, standing close enough so that the alleged forger knew bolting down the drive would be ill-advised but far enough that it could feel like his decision to climb into the black sedan. He figured it would be a bad idea because who knew what exactly an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. would be capable of, or where their boundaries lay? Neal preferred to deal with opposition whose rules he knew – it was part of the reason riling Peter was so fun.

“You know, if you ever feel like something different, we'd be more than glad to utilize someone with your skills.” He didn't look at Neal as he shifted into first gear and the car moved smoothly through the intersection. Big band music played at low volume from the speakers as Coulson drove. “Please put the painting in the backseat, if you don't mind. I can return the forgery to you in two days if you'd like it back.” His request wasn't much louder than the music and Neal's fingers tapped twice on the protective casing before doing as asked. Neal knew it wasn't really a polite request so much as an order.

“You can keep the other one if you'd like,” Neal replied. “It's probably better if Peter doesn't realize the extent of what you asked me to do.” He grinned at the thought.

The car idled in front of June's house and Coulson shifted into reverse and took his foot off the clutch before turning to Neal. “Think about the offer, Mr. Caffrey.” Neal shook his hand and got out of the car, mind churning. He actually was happy with being the FBI's CI - the camaraderie he had going with Peter wasn't easy to duplicate - and he'd gotten nearly used to the tracking anklet, but it was certainly nice to know that other avenues were open.


End file.
